October is Farmer’s Month! It's a time to celebrate the hardworking hands, big hearts, and generations of farmers who make the food on our tables possible. The early risers, the dreamers, the problem-solvers, the animal lovers, and the families who pour their hearts into caring for the land and the animals that call it home.
For us, farming isn't just what we do. It's who we are.
We grew up in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania at Painterland Farms, surrounded by cows, pastures, family, hard work, and the everyday rhythms of farm life.
Farmers plan for the next crop, the next season, and the next growing season. But perhaps most importantly, they're thinking about the next generation. The little farm kids running through the pastures today who might just grow up to carry on the family tradition tomorrow.
Because while farming is deeply rooted in the past, it's always growing toward the future.
Growing the future of farming is about inviting more people to be part of agriculture.
While family is at the heart of our farm, farming has never been just about family. It is also about the neighbors who lend a helping hand, the high school students who join our team, and the many wonderful people who bring their own skills, passions, and hard work to our farm.
We've watched neighbors take their own leaps into farming, starting something new and building a future in agriculture. It's a reminder that you don't have to grow up on a farm to find your place in farming.
For our family, we hope to see farming continue through future generations of Painters.
But just as importantly, we hope to see more people discover their own connection to agriculture. Whether that's raising animals, starting a farm, working alongside another farmer, or simply finding ways to support the people who grow our food.
Growing the future of farming isn't just about passing a farm down. It's about inviting more people to be part of agriculture.
Every Farmer Has a Passion, a Hope & a Dream
Ask a farmer what their favorite part of farming is, and you may get a different answer every time.
Maybe it’s watching a healthy herd walk out onto lush, rolling pastures. Maybe it’s a beautiful, quiet sunrise signaling the beginning of another day. It might be a successful harvest alongside family, or simply knowing that the work you did today will help provide for your family tomorrow.
And for many, it's the hope that someday, someone will love this land just as much as they do.
That's something we know a little bit about.
Growing up at Painterland Farms, we were surrounded by a family full of different personalities, passions, and dreams. And while we all grew up on the same farm, the things we love most about it aren't necessarily the same!
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Our mother, Maria Painter, says
“My favorite part of the farm is the family!
I love spending time together- working, learning, nurturing, and building our lives together to bring our lives full circle.”
Our father, Clinton Painter, says,
“My favorite thing on the farm is everything,
especially working with my family!"
Our brother, McGwire Painter, says,
“My favorite part of the farm is driving the tractors.”
Our brother, Bryant Painter, says his favorite part is that he
“loves running equipment on the farm.”
Each answer is different, but together they tell an important story: there is room for many passions on a farm. Farmers across the country take what they have learned from the generations before them, build upon it, ask new questions, try new ideas, and find new ways to care for the land and animals. And it takes all of them.
Because a farm isn't built on just one person's passion. It's built on generations of people bringing their own strengths, ideas, and a whole lot of heart to something bigger than themselves.
Here's to the Farmers Who Make It All Possible
During Farmer’s Month, we want to pause and say thank you to the people who make agriculture what it is.
Thank you to the farmers who came before us, the ones who worked the land with the tools and knowledge they had, built farms from the ground up, and passed down lessons that continue to shape agriculture today.
Thank you to the farmers working today, the ones who get up early, work through long days and changing weather, care for animals around the clock, and make countless decisions that most of us never see.
Thank you to the farmers of tomorrow, the young people learning to drive the tractor, feed a calf, plant a seed, mend a fence, care for the soil, or simply asking, “What if we tried it this way?”
Because farming doesn’t stop with one generation.
It is a story that continues to grow.
This October, as you enjoy a glass of milk, a bowl of creamy Painterland Sisters organic skyr yogurt, a meal made with fresh ingredients, or food shared around your family table, take a moment to think about the farmer who helped make it possible.
Because behind the food we love are real people, real families, and stories that stretch back generations.
And the most beautiful part? Those stories are still being written.
From our family farm to yours, thank you to the farmers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We are grateful for you.